Vasculata-2012 will be held in Nashville, Tennessee from July 25-28, 2012 with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine serving as the lead host institution in conjunction with University of Kentucky College of Medicine and Meharry Medical College. Vasculata-2012 will fulfill the following specific aims: Aim 1: Inspire young investigator from a variety of disciplines to enter the field of vascular biology by providing trainees with an introductory learning experience. Aim 2: Orient new investigators to the breadth and depth of the frontiers of knowledge of vascular biology through state-of-the-art presentations and scientific interchange with leading investigators. Aim 3: Enhancing exposure and understanding of the latest experimental approaches employed in vascular biology by a combination of didactic lectures and hands-on workshops. Aim 4: To allow young investigators to interact with established scientists in vascular biology via poster presentations and informal interactions. The Vasculata-2012 conference will be a distinctive addition to the Vasculata series by: 1) providing a wide range of relevant research topics ranging from basic concepts to clinical research, 2) introducing attendees to fields newly recognized to impact vascular biology, 3) providing workshops that will provide the trainees with firsthand experience with methods relevant to vascular biology. The faculty for Vasculata 2012 consists of core faculty from the three sponsoring institutions and carefully selected experts from other institutions. These faculty members include investigators from varied disciplines including developmental biology, matrix biology, vascular immunology, clinical science and genetic epidemiology. Vasculata 2012 will also emphasize new information regarding vascular diseases in minorities and women, and emerging vascular diseases in the third world. Overall, the Vasculata-2012 conference promises to be an exciting and uniquely rich research training experience. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The public health and clinical impact of vascular diseases such as hypertension, stroke and coronary heart disease are the major causes of death and disability in our nation. The scientific discipline of vascular biology remains a relatively young field with a small critica mass of scientific experts trained in the discipline. The Vasculata research training conference series serves as a critical national resource to the scientific community by providing an invaluable forum for research training and career development for the next generation of biomedical scientists in vascular biology and related fields.